Delayed for spit shining and polish by former publisher THQ in late 2012 before being snatched up by Ubisoft during THQ’s bankruptcy/sell-off in early 2013, South Park: The Stick of Truth has been in release date limbo ever since. Until today, that is. Ubisoft and Obsidian just announced that South Park: The Stick of Truth will launch on December 10 in North America, Dec. 12 in Europe.

Sure, that’s nearly a year since I was originally supposed to get my hands on this thing, but as the new trailer reminds me, my enthusiasm for the project hasn’t been dampened:

The publisher also rolled out the South Park: The Stick of Truth Grand Wizard Edition ($80), which includes the Fellowship Pack, a Grand Wizard Cartman Figure by Kidrobot, and a Kingdom of South Park Map. Not too shabby for $80. These collectors editions, special editions, boxed sets, or whatever they’re labeled typically run in the $120 range.

So two-and-a-half months until The Stick of Truth. Can’t wait for this one.

Microsoft’s E3 press conference just ended, and we’ve gathered our staff (that isn’t tied up at E3) to tell you what we thought. Since we won’t let them leave until they contribute, they’re more than willing!

Ron Whitaker: We’re all aware of the dearth of new IP this year at E3, and this Microsoft conference underscores that. Sequel piled upon sequel, with only a XBL title (AND SOUTH PARK!!) to break it up. *SIGH* That said, the new Tomb Raider game looks pretty great, and the South Park game is something any fan of the show is looking forward to. Unfortunately, there was really nothing here that wasn’t unexpected. We knew Halo 4 was coming, we knew there was a new Gears, and so this conference was really a fait accompli.

Smart Glass is some interesting new tech, but it looks more like a response to the WiiU than anything that the average gamer really wants. Personally, I don’t care to have stuff on my phone pop up during movies, or use my tablet to control a game. I’m sure someone does, but I honestly don’t know those people.

Also, MS really needs to stop forcing Kinect integration into every game. No one wants it, and no is buying Kinect so they can shout at the TV in Skyrim, or to whisper sweet nothings to Splinter Cell terrorists. Trust me.

It was great to see some new footage from the games we’ve been waiting on, but MS set the bar awfully low in terms of press conferences. We’ll have to see what happens at the others.

Grade: C-

Ross Lincoln: Admittedly, footage from the new Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell, South Park, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 were exciting, and the glimpse at Resident Evil 6, though a Resident Evil Game in name only from the looks of it, didn’t entirely suck. But notice that all of those games are not Xbox exclusives; none of them tell you anything about Microsoft’s actual strategy for the final year or so of the 7th generation. What does? Stupid Kinect functionality.

Nearly everything they showed off was centered around Microsoft’s too late to matter attempt to capture the Wii market, including ultimate proof that they’re determined to ruin the Fable series by turning it into a joke rail shooter. Even Halo, which didn’t look particularly groundbreaking but at least is a new Halo game, has stupid Kinect features. But that the majority of the presentation centered around dance games, XBLA dashboard features and yet more sports IP shows that despite statements to the contrary, Microsoft is basically checked out at this point. We might be getting some neat things to play on 360, but with the exception of Halo, they’re not going to be made in-house.

Grade – D

NOTE: this would have been a D-, but hiring Usher to perform for a bunch of game journalists has to be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. Well played, Microsoft.

Matt Hughes: Too much Kinect. Any shouting I do at my tv is far too inappropriate for a game to recognize, and considering the lag I witnessed, I’ll still be relying on buttons and menus as my primary gaming inputs. This is the third year where Microsoft has tried shoving the peripheral down our throats, this time with Usher using his dancing shoes to pack it all down.

As far as gameplay demos, I was thoroughly impressed by Tomb Raider and Resident Evil 6, though neither is an Xbox exclusive. Far too little of the new Gears of War was shown to spur any real excitement, and while the Halo demo showcased a new enemy type and a snazzy cutscene, I’d hardly describe the footage as groundbreaking.

Grade: D

Think we’re right? Think we’re wrong? Tell us what YOU thought of the conference, and what grade you give it!

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/microsofts-e3-2012-press-conference-our-thoughts/feed/3Obsidian Is Now Working On A Kickstarter Projecthttp://www.gamefront.com/obsidian-is-now-working-on-a-kickstarter-project/
http://www.gamefront.com/obsidian-is-now-working-on-a-kickstarter-project/#commentsThu, 29 Mar 2012 01:03:39 +0000Ross Lincolnhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=159060Nothing else is known about it. Except for this.

Obsidian is working on an unspecified Kickstarter project. That much was confirmed in a tweet on Sunday in response to a question from a fan. “No news yet except we’re still working on it,” the tweet read, which means we know next to nothing other than they’re putting something together.

This is an interesting direction for Obsidian to take. While they have endured some recent setbacks – Dungeon Siege III for instance, which got middling critical reviews and sold less than a million copies, and just barely missing out on a royalties bonus thanks to the B- scores given to Fallout: New Vegas – they’re still working on South Park: The Game. So it’s unlikely they’ve been reduced to begging for kickstarter money.

It will be interesting to see just what they’ve got planned. Who knows, maybe they’re following the trend and looking to fund the revival of a long extinct gaming franchise. My money is on Fester’s Quest.

A gamer’s work is never done. Despite the number of terrific titles already released in 2012, things are only getting started. Whether you’re excited for Diablo III or Bioshock: Infinite, read on for a comprehensive look at the all the great games the year has in store.

April

Kinect Star Wars (360) – April 3rd

Armed with new Pod-racing and Rancor modes, this kid-centric title combines motion controls with the world’s most popular license.

Well, 2012 is upon us. For those of us not embroiled in Star Wars: The Old Republic or still catching up on the insane release schedule of 2011 (I’m in both camps), it’s time to look forward to what we’ll be playing in the New Year.

There are some huge games ahead on the horizon, and for PC players, there are a few that are definitely worth paying attention to. It might not be a year as intensely packed with big releases as 2011 was — yet — but there are sure to be quite a few games that garner a lot of your free time and gaming dollar. Here’s a rundown of every big release yet on our radar and everything you should be watching in anticipation.

JanuaryFinal Fantasy XIII-2Coming: Jan. 31On: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Square Enix’s follow-up to last year’s record-breaking Final Fantasy XIII forwards the story of Lightning and pals three years into the future. And, you know… it’s Final Fantasy.

King Arthur II: The Role-playing WargameComing: JanuaryOn: PC

The sequel to the fantasy/role-playing RTS released in 2010 takes you way forward in the legend of King Arthur, with Britain rent asunder and Arthur struggling with his own grievous injuries. The Holy Hand Grenade will not be part of the game, though — King Arthur takes a darker tone than that.

SoulCalibur VComing: Jan. 31On: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Namco Bandai is packing boobs into tiny clothing in the next iteration of its weapons-heavy fighting title. There’s already controversy about the advertising, to boot.

The first details of Obsidian’s South Park RPGhave been divulged. With a story being written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone themselves, this is promising to be the best South Park game released to date.

Players will take on the role of the new kid in town participating in a live action roleplaying game that evolves into a real adventure. Eric Cartman helps the player select a class: wizard, paladin, adventurer, rogue, or a fifth unconventional class made up by Cartman.

The combat system will be similar to Paper Mario, there will be no platforming, and quests will have a distinct South Park feel, such as a mission to get Kung Pao Chicken from City Wok. You can find the full details on NeoGaf.

I admit to rolling my eyes when I first heard “South Park RPG,” but with Parker and Stone behind it, this could be a hit.